5 Misconceptions About Veganism

I have been Vegan for over ten years but some stereotypes/misconceptions still get under my skin. For me, choosing not to consume animals or animal products (such as meat, dairy, eggs, leather, etc.) was an easy choice. Once I became aware of the cruelty inflicted upon animals in factory farms, the devastating environmental impact of eating meat, and the health concerns over meat consumption, the choice was obvious.

I love being Vegan. I feel healthier, I feel like I am very aware of the food that I eat and how it affects my body, I have a greater sense of where my food comes from and how it got to my plate, I have no fear of things like Mad Cow Disease, Salmonella, or high cholesterol/heart disease, and I have a clear conscious about the ethical consequences of my food choices.

However, whenever I tell someone new that I am Vegan, I am often hit with a number of misconceptions and stereotypes. I would like to take this opportunity to address some of the most popular misconceptions.

Vegans are crunchy-granola-loving hippies. I cannot tell you how many times someone has said to me, “You don’t look like you’re vegan.” I assume that is because I do not look like a hippie. There are a number of stylish, hip, trendy vegans as evidenced by some of the more popular vegan websites such as

Vegans eat ‘twigs and branches.’ Okay, this stereotype tends to get under my skin. I pride myself on being a bit of a foodie so for someone to assume I eat bland, tasteless leaf vegetables for sustenance irks me. I eat interesting, delicious food. I eat out at fancy restaurants such as the Candle Cafe in New York City and I can assure you, they do not serve twigs or branches.

Vegans cannot eat chocolate or dessert. Again, I LOVE food. I love dessert even more. There are a ton of vegan chocolates including just about any brand of dark chocolate and a number of specialty chocolate brands such as Terra Nostra chocolates, Sjaaks chocolates, and Rose City Chocolatiers. True, Vegans do not eat “milk chocolate” but many chocolates (especially high end/gourmet chocolates) do not contain milk. As for desserts, I can assure you, I eat delicious desserts, either that I make at home or that I purchase from upscale vegan bakeries such as Vegan Treats. My sweet tooth is always satisfied!

Vegans are terrorists. Lately there has been a lot of press about so-called animal rights activists partaking in “ecological terrorism,” “domestic terrorism,” etc. This has gone as far as FBI agents ‘infiltrating’ vegan potlucks to do reconnaissance. Puh-lease. I just don’t see Gweneth Paltrow, Jason Schwatzman, or Ed Begley, Jr. as terrorists. This particular misconception reeks of right-wing fear-mongering.

Vegans cannot get enough protein/B12/D/etc. It is very easy to eat a well-balanced, healthy vegan diet. In fact, studies show that eating a vegan diet can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk for heart disease. The American Dietetic Association has officially stated that a vegan diet is healthy. Still not convinced? Check out the Vegan Food Pyramid.

These misconceptions have been the most common reactions that I have gotten from people in my own experiences. While of course there is always a small grain of truth hidden somewhere behind some of these stereotypes, overwhelmingly, they do not describe the vast majoity of vegans and certainly do not describe me!